Gary Webb was American investigative journalist, Pulitzer prize winner. He examined origins of the crack cocaine trade in Los Angeles and claimed that members of the anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua had played a major role in creating the trade, using cocaine profits to support their struggle. He also suggested that the Contras may have acted with the knowledge and protection of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Webb was found dead in his home on December 10, 2004, with two gunshot wounds to the head. His death was ruled a suicide by the Sacramento County coroner's office. After a local paper reported that he had died from multiple gunshots, the coroner's office received so many calls asking about Webb's death that Sacramento County Coroner issued a statement confirming Webb had committed suicide.

In the "Dark Alliance", drawing from the newly declassified documents, undercover DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) audio and videotapes that had never been publicly released, federal court testimony, and interviews, Webb demonstrates how US government knowingly allowed massive amounts of drugs and money to change hands at the expense of communities.